Pear Therapeutics (Nasdaq:PEAR) announced today that it launched a program to offer digital therapeutic users access to a telehealth provider.
Boston-based Pear’s program offers patients seeking treatment for substance use disorder (SUD) or opioid use disorder (OUD) access to a telehealth provider through its “find a provider tool,” as well as in-person care options.
According to a news release, the company plans to work with select telehealth providers to connect patients with a clinician to go over treatment options, including the reSET and reSET-O prescription digital therapeutics (PDTs). The first offering comes through telehealth addiction treatment provider PursueCare with a digital health model for SUD and OUD treatment.
“We find patients are often required to piece together their treatment like a puzzle. By bringing together and standardizing delivery of comprehensive at-home and digital care solutions, we put the patient at the center and bring them the resources and proven remote behavioral interventions they need, along with treatment from skilled clinicians who can help them navigate their journey,” PursueCare founder and CEO Nick Mercadante said in the release. “I believe this approach truly drives value-based care and is too often lacking for people who have a substance use disorder and are seeking access to recovery treatment.”
Pear said that, through collaboration with telehealth providers, it can provide an integrated virtual treatment continuum to give patients access to learn about its 24/7 evidence-based therapeutic that can complement outpatient medical treatment.
PursueCare’s virtual care platform offers medication-assisted treatment (MAT), counseling, psychiatry, delivery pharmacy, at-home screenings and targeted case management through one app. Pear said it already launched the combined offering with PursueCare in select markets across PursueCare’s 12-state footprint and plans are in place for expansion to additional states.
“About only one in 10 Americans with a substance use disorder receives any type of specialty treatment. Barriers to care can include not having access to in-person therapy or long waiting periods to engage care. The power of Pear working with telehealth providers like PursueCare is meeting patients where they are,” Pear President and CEO Dr. Corey McCann said. “We need to make it easier for patients with addiction to seek and learn about treatment options for recovery. By providing innovative, fully virtual evidence-based care and treatment, we can create equity of access, and remove many of the obstacles associated with treatment.”
